Game 6 of the WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries has been rescheduled to a 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time tipoff on Thursday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. This adjustment was made to accommodate an existing NBA game that evening between the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, which could not be rescheduled. The NBA game was moved back an hour to allow for both events to occur in the same venue.
The decision comes as part of coordinated efforts between the WNBA, NBA, the teams involved, and venue management to handle scheduling conflicts. State Farm Arena, which also hosted Games 3 and 4 of the Finals, allows the Dream to expand their home crowd capacity significantly, from their usual Gateway Center Arena capacity of about 3,500 to over 17,000 fans. Games 3 and 4 were sold out, and tickets for Game 6 sold rapidly, with more than 10,000 sold within the first 90 minutes of availability.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert expressed enthusiasm about the move, highlighting the success of previous sold-out games at State Farm Arena and the opportunity to offer more fans a chance to witness a decisive championship contest. She thanked all parties involved for their flexibility and collaboration.
The scheduling shift was not without its challenges. Both teams will have to adapt to the earlier start time, which will be 9:30 a.m. local time in San Francisco, home to the Valkyries. Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase downplayed concerns related to the earlier tipoff, noting the team’s preparation and emphasis on rest and recovery. “We’ve had six games in 10 days during the regular season. So yeah, it’s really not affecting us,” Nakase said, adding that the team embraces challenges and is built to handle unexpected situations.
Atlanta Dream coach Karl Smesko noted the primary change would be that neither team would have a shootaround before the game. Players also voiced a determined mindset despite scheduling adjustments. Dream guard Allisha Gray said, “I don’t care if we’re playing at 8 a.m., 10 p.m., midnight, we got a championship to win.” Golden State guard Veronica Burton emphasized staying focused on the immediate competition rather than external factors.
This is the third instance in the Finals series where the WNBA has made accommodations for the Dream to play in the larger arena. Game 3 was moved up a day, and Game 4 started early to allow the Hawks to host their NBA home opener on the same night. The arena staff will again have to change over the court swiftly on Thursday for the Hawks game following Game 6, should the series conclude.
Efforts to maintain a primetime slot for Game 6 were explored but found unfeasible due to both the Hawks and Cavaliers playing the previous night, preventing an earlier start. The NBA and WNBA leagues knew the identities of the playoff teams well in advance, but the certainty of a Game 6 in Atlanta only emerged recently.
While the earlier start time may affect television viewership negatively, particularly given the strong ratings for the first two games of the series, the rescheduling aims to balance logistical constraints with maximizing fan attendance and operational feasibility.